MC CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Monday, August 8, 2016

Maryville College Academics

As you
know, Maryville College has very high academic standards, and you will be
expected to keep good grades. Although you may have your system of education
figured out and know how to thrive in that environment, Maryville College may be
quite different, especially from schools in Europe. Some important benefits and
other aspects of MaryvilleCollege classes include:

-Small
class sizes. On average, your classes will be with few other students, perhaps
about 20. Maryville College has a student:faculty ratio of 13:1, meaning for
every 13 students there is at least one faculty member;

Lamar Library Computer Lab

-Expectation
of class participation. Often times, your grade is dependent on your class
attendance and participation. So you will be expected to complete your reading
and assignments before class, so that you can actively contribute to class
conversations. It is also important that you develop your own opinions on
course topics, rather than just repeating things from the readings and
assignments;

-High
level of interaction between students and faculty. If you need extra help in
understanding the class material or just have a question that you may not have
had a chance to ask in class, professors encourage students to reach out during
office hours and after class. Professors are here to help you learn as much as
possible, and they take their role very seriously;

-Intensive
amounts of reading, writing and assignments over the course of the semester.
You will be expected to have readings and assignments done by the specified due
date. You will need to demonstrate your knowledge on the topics throughout the
semester, rather than primarily on final exams.

This may seem overwhelming now, but if
you plan your time appropriately and ask for help when you need it, you will
all do fine. All students may run into road blocks in some courses and may need
extra help. Maryville College has many resources to help you overcome those
road blocks, but each student is responsible for seeking help out when they
need it. If you need help researching a topic for an assignment, librarians at
the Lamar
Memorial Library are always willing to help. You can email or call them
with your questions, or you can set up a face-to-face appointment. There is
also an Academic
Support Center on campus. This center sets up group study sessions and has writing
and math help. We highly encourage students to take advantage of these
resources.

Mountain Challenge Tower - You can do it too!

Learning at Maryville College also extends beyond the
classroom. There is an emphasis on experiential education at the College.
Experiential education is typically a guided activity of some form, typically
in an unfamiliar location or new task. Performing these activities allows
students to adjust their mental and emotional process to the task at hand and
develop new tasks. Many times, students participate in Mountain Challenge
programming for experiential education, which gives students the opportunity to
explore themselves while outdoors. The
Center for Community Engagement plays a role in experiential education.
Students can reach out to them to help find volunteer opportunities in the
surrounding community. Some examples are tutoring, adult literacy, work in
social service agencies, environmental projects, and many other possibilities.
These are just a couple of ways that Maryville College students get involved.
To see more options, click here.